VFK Election Day Quest
Description From the very first Presidential Election in 1789 when George Washington ran unopposed to become the first president of the United States, we have elected our presidents by voting. On this special quest today, we will look into the exciting, controversial and usually passionate history of US Presidential Elections! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and the Secret Ballot Pin! Prizes Questions 1. The very first Presidential election in 1789 elected George Washington as president. Prior to this election, the US did not have a president. The government was led by the Confederation Congress which had a presiding officer, but did not have an executive branch. Since George Washington did not have any opposition for president, what was the election deciding? * How the govenment would be set up. * Who the Vice President would be. * Whether to allow women to vote. * What the US Flag would look like. 2. There were no conventions and no formal nomination process in place for the very first election. The founding fathers had agreed that George Washington should be president and he had accepted the office, so the states voted unanimously for George Washington to be president. The position of Vice President, however was heavily contested. There were eleven prestigious men running for Vice President and John Adams of Massachusetts, Former Minister to Great Britain won the election. Walk over to the garden room out the door of your colonial living room and say "I cannot tell a lie!" 3. The Presidential Campaign of 1840 was a contest between the "Whig" candidate, William Henry Harrison who was the "hero of Tippecanoe" a battle fought in 1811, and John Tyler as his running mate; and Democrat Martin Van Buren. What was the campaign slogan of William Harrison and John Tyler? * In your heart, you know he's right. * It's morning in America * Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. * He kept us out of war. 4. William Harrison's campaign was a great success due to "the power of singing." His well received and influential campaign song was part of what was referred to as the Log Cabin Campaign. It was the song which first established singing as a powerful campaign strategy. Harrison's campaign was memorable for the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" from his campaign song. His inauguration was also memorable in that he gave the longest inauguration speech ever. The freezing cold weather made the hour and forty-five minute speech quite uncomfortable. Despite being remembered for his slogan and his long speech, Harrison died of pneumonia after only one month as president. Go to the first English countryside room off Stonehenge and say "Those who wish to sing always find a song." 5. The very first Republican candidate for president ran his campaign in 1856. The candidate ironically married the daughter of the man who had been the Leader of the Democratic Party in the Senate for thirty years. The Republican party was divided on several issues into two factions. One supported Abraham Lincoln and the other were against Lincoln. What was the name of the first Republican candidate? * John Charls Fremont * Thomas Hart Benton * Henry Whiting * Abraham Lincoln 6. Abraham Lincoln was actually the second nominee of the Republican Party for president of the U.S. in 1860. Lincoln won the election despite the fact that Lincoln didn't even get on the ballot in nine of the Southern states. Go to outside the new store in Victorian Age and say "That is just the way it goes!" 7. One interesting campaign slogan was used in the election of 1896. The race was between the Democrat William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley. William Jennings Bryan supported converting United States currency over to the silver standard. To what does his campaign slogan "16 to 1" refer? * The odds that he would win the election * How many debates he won over Mckinley * The ratio of silver to gold * How many straw polls he had won 8. The election of 1896 where the Republican candidate William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan is considered by historians to be significant in American history. The campaign was one where part of the platform for the Democrats included enabling people to drop silver off at the mints the way they already did gold and have it converted into silver coins for them. The supporters of this idea were called pro-Free Silver Republicans. These people split from the main Republican party to for the "Silver Republican Party". Go to the inside of the Marshall's office and say "All that shines is not silver!" 9. The system of voting where your vote is confidential is called the "secret ballot." This is a method where the aim of the process is to enable a person to vote without anyone else knowing who he voted for. This system is also a way of making sure that people have "political privacy." When people go to vote, they are provided a polling place where they can cast their votes in secret. Which U.S. state was the first state to use the secret ballot voting method? * Massachusetts * Virginia * North Carolina * Pennsylvania 10. Secret ballots have been used since Ancient Rome. In the nineteenth century, the secret ballot was very controversial. Now, however, this practice is so commonplace that most voters cannot imagine voting without it. This voting method is also called the Australian ballot as it originated in Australia in the 1850's. Go to King Arthur's Round Table room and say "Can you keep a secret?" 11. Press continue to finish the quest! Answers # Who the Vice President would be. # Go to the Garden and say "I cannot tell a lie!" # Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. # Go to the first English countryside room and say "Those who wish to sing always find a song." # John Charls Fremont # Go to Main Street and say "That is just the way it goes!" # The ratio of silver to gold # Go to the inside U.S. Marshalls and say "All that shines is not silver!" # Massachusetts # Go to Arthur's Round Table and say "Can you keep a secret?" # Press Continue Category:Quests